A Short History of Tempo (I): 1939–1946

Editorial A Short History of Tempo (I): 1939-1946

In its 50 years of existence Tempo has experienced Donald Tovey on previously-unknown Haydn many changes of design before the one you see symphonies recently discovered by Hans Gal. now. In a sense, our new 2-column format The journal was to be 'issued every other recalls the magazine's very first incarnation (see month'; in fact it ran thus until No.4, July 1939 opposite). Tempo was launched upon the world (Copland on El Salon Mexico, Stein on Webem's in January 1939 under the editorship of Ernest op.28), after which the War closed it down until Chapman as 'The Boosey & Hawkes News- February 1944, with the solitary exception of letter'; but from its inception it was considerably No.5, which appeared in August 1941. Mean- more than a house journal, and seems to have while Boosey & Hawkes's recently-established New York office set up a separate American edition of Tempo with assistance from Minna Lederman's doughty Modern Music, a senior TEMPO sister in the 20th-century field. This ran six The Boosey 6 Hatukes Netus-Letter issues in 1940-42 (it was for the fifth,Vol. 2 no.2, that Britten wrote his famous article 'On behalf Inued every other month Price 3d. JANUARY 1939 of Gustav Mahler'), and a further 'wartime' edition in February 1944, the month in which INTRODUCTION the London-based Tempo resumed publication. Our purpose in Issuing this NewvLctter, EttMd to those tpecches, and U u (Ut that which ii minKlcd for performer* tnd listen- • eoniinuition of thu mffnthmnt, BO milike.ii twofold. Kntty, it wiU be a obviously needed it the present time, might With the British version's No.7 (June 1944) tource of infonnatioa for thoea with in well be one of the purposes best served in intcrctt ia prcaem-diy compoeen end that cohunna. came a new cover design, redesignation as a musical anintic. W. hope to publish Secondly, this Newt-Letter will contain periodic newa-reporu, tuch ** tppear in the a Ii* of new ptftlkitioM issued both by present issue, concerning composer* «f oandm md me various foreign firm* for quarterly, and the first publication of an article cttabluhed reputation. while younger mod- whom we act a* British representative*. con* and other* who have not ytt itlaincd A publisher m»y perhip* be lUowed t popuhv recognition will abn receive ade- legitimate pride in the good* he offer* the on 'Musical Culture Today' by W.H. Mellers: quste mention. The Newt-Utter will iho public, andwe *hould therefore like to draw contain trtidet tnd informttinn ihoul new mention, in the nnt number of this Newt- worka lad important older worka. aad in Lctter. to the unasualty huga and varied ' >M hope to obuin the U« of composer* whoee name, will be found in our catalogues. Among living English Adding tifhi on ^dr^poMtiont, ctpcc£ composer* whose works ere it present pub- ally when ihminrfm imueutTor tiahed by Boosey k Hawke* Lid. are Arthur pepblemalic nature. Edmund Rubbra hat Denbm&. I^nnu Derkeky. Arthur lllbt, contributed an inkle on hi* new Sympimmy "-•—!- llritten. Abn Uuth, Howard 14 lh« promt number, ud our ml inue Cibt Ik will probably bciud* • note by Erne* Howdls. John Ireknd. B. J. Moeran. Roger Dloch on tut recently completed Keen Quitter and Edmund Rubbra. Qmttrfr. Anidet of • more |cnen1 nature Of the foreign firm* for whom we act ** ,,11 •!*> ippm from time to time. English distributor*. Universal Edition of ' Djr this method, If only in a mode* way, Vienna, with it* remarkable list of modern we hope to ntablish a cbtrr contact between composer* from practically every European compoem and the iranie-loring public, neither of whom can rcidiry progreai without country, will need little ininjductiuo: awutaace from the other. An obeemr «t Bartok. Derg. CaseHa, Jantfek. KotUry. the " Muak wd life " Omrtn held in Kfnet, Mihkr, Mithaud, Schoenber|, London bat Mmmer, at which emra] Siynumowtti and Webem are only a few k b hi i d of the contemporary compoeen whom they championed. In the field of Russian music we tepreac.il three firm*. Debieff, Benel and Edition Husse de Muaique, who between M* BOOSEY&.HAWKES QUARTERLY

arisen in the aftermath of the ISCM Festival C 0 HTEUTS held in London in Summer 1938, during which SckoenccfS in the United* Statea B&H had held a kind of 'mini-festival' with A.pecu of FJm Mulic School Sonp recitals by its own composers, notably the The Plot of 'Peter Grin*.' recently-acquired Bela Bartok. The necessarily WJton'. 'Heor, V M strong ties formed in the immediate pre-war Arthur BU'. Ne. BJlet period with the Universal Edition catalogue BaruSk Poctnitt anJ Maniucript Tr« Ncwi from P.m. Bruttelt under Alfred Kalmus, and the interest of and Soutli Africa Schoenberg's pupil Erwin Stein (a frequent and distinguished contributor in the early days) ensured that Tempo's remit was the reverse of yrt'c* One Shilling (net) parochial. The very first issue carried news of Webern, an article by Edmund Rubbra on his Second Symphony, and a supplement by Sir

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.202.58, on 25 Sep 2021 at 07:19:48, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0040298200024864 A Short History of Tempo (I) 3

TEMPO

the near future is not only well deserved but Coolidge Festival at Pittsburgh, U.S.A., on would also enable listeners to apprehend September 22nd and was sympathetically more thoroughly the special qualities of received. The Kolisch players immediately this Symphony. Meanwhile, Mr. Rubbra decided to include the work in their reper- has written an article (reproduced on toire and gave a further performance in New another page) explaining his ideas concerning York on November 1st. An article on the symphonic form and the particular methods Quartet will be published in a later number he has employed in his new Symphony. of Tempo. Rubbra.does most of his composition in One of the most interesting items heard a studio set apart from his cottage-home in at the I.S.C.M. Festival last June was Buckinghamshire. He works intensively Webern's Das Augatlicht, a setting for and has already begun several new composi- mixed chorus and orchestra of a poem by tions, including a Sinfonietta for small Hildegard Jone. It scored an unexpected orchestra, of a considerably lighter nature popular success, and the peculiarly luminous than his Second Symphony, and a ballet quality of the music was widely commented entitled Prism, the idea for which was upon. The same composer's Five Pieces for suggested to him by Peter Goffin, of the String Orchestra (after his String Quartet, Westminster Theatre. The scenario of the Op. 5) are to be performed by the Philadel- ballet is concerned with the primary colours, phia String Sinfonietta, under their con- but the music has no connection with ductor Fabien Sevitzky. Scriabin's theory of the relation between Several of Webern's works have appeared music and colour, and is intended only to recently in London concert programmes. heighten the dramatic effect. His Six Songs, Op. 14, for soprano and four instruments were given at Aeolian Hall on December 8th, and the String Trio, Op. 20, Anton Webern was given its first performance in England Webern is at present writing a work for full on December 14th, at the second of this orchestra which will probably become his season's Hallis concerts. After the latter second symphony. It is planned on more performance we were glad to note an article extended lines than his previous composi- in the Saturday music column of The Times, tions, and will include vocal sections for in which the writer suggested that this music solo voice and mixed chorus. In the first was worthy of serious study. Finally, Peter half of last year Webern completed a String Stadlen, who has made a special study of Quartet, Op. 28, commissioned by Mrs. the music of Schoenberg and Webern, will Elizabeth Sprague-Coolidge, and shortly to give the first English performance of the be published by us. The first performance recent Piano Variations, Op. 27, at his recital at Aeolian Hall on January 27th. was given by the Kolisch Quartet at the

Avant Garde songs and Sophie Wyss the Milhaud cycle. The London Contemporary Music Centre Peter Stadlen was solo pianist in the Schoen- and Boosey & Hawkes Ltd. joined forces to berg Suite and Britten's Sinfonietta was give a concert of contemporary music for conducted by the composer. chamber orchestra at Aeolian Hall on December 8th. The programme consisted of: Schoenberg, Suite for Seven Instruments, Karol Rathaus Op. 29 (first performance in England); Karol Rathaus, the well-known Polish com- Webern, Six Songs, Op. 14, after poems by poser, is at present visiting the United Georg Trakl (first performance in England); States. He has been engaged to write Darius Milhaud, Machines Agricous, for incidental music for Friednch Hebbel's soprano and seven instruments; and Ben- Herodes and Marianne, shortly to be pro- jamin Britten's Sinfonietta, Op. 1, for ten duced in New York, and has recently instruments. May Blyth sang the Webern completed his 2nd Violin Sonata, Op. 43.

[PAGE SEVEN]

Above: A page of news of'Music in the Making', from the very first issue of'Tempo', January 1939.

45 years later, we are delighted to publish the developments from as far apart as Paris (Felix author's latest contribution on p.22. Musical Aprahamian) and Jerusalem (Peter Gradenwitz). facsimiles were also introduced; photographs Soon after the war it became clear that Tempo, and drawings followed in No.8 (but did not still averaging no more that 20 pages an issue, become a regular feature until the post-war was too small for the vast field it had to cover; years). This new format ran until June 1946. it was time for a metamorphosis. No. 15 Contributors included Bartok, Henry Cowell, (June 1946) was the last issue of-what we now Roberto Gerhard, Willi Reich, Matyas Seiber, call the Old Series; the next one began afresh Egon Wellesz; Roger Sessions wrote on atNo.l. Schoenberg; Cedric Thorpe Davie on the Sibelius Piano Sonatinas; Wilfrid Mellers on (To be continued. We retain no back numbers for sale Rawsthorne; Erwin Stein on Webern and on of the Old Series and American Series of Tempo, but Peter Grimes. As the liberation of Europe ended can supply photocopies of any issue or article at a cost years of cultural isolation, critics reported new of 10p per page, plus postage and VA T.)